Relationships
by FeebleFealty
Summary: In a funky timeline, Dancestors and Descendants are all alive (eventually) and taken in by their Ancestors. The main focus for this to imply the relationships between all ancestors and their descendants in this particular timeline. Rated T for now but it might change later on depending on the trolls mentioned.
1. Time Off

**Time Off**

**Focus - The Ampora's**

Cronus likes to check on Eridan when he hasn't seen him in a few hours. Usually he doesn't have anything to say but Eridan has noticed him come around more times than once.

* * *

This was the third time Cronus had passed by his door. Eridan could smell the slight musk pouring from the older trolls' form whenever he paused in the entrance and stared inside. Cronus was usually the one to speak to Eridan whenever something needed to be done because Dualscar only spoke to him. The idea of his ancestor not taking a liking to him hurt him on another level, but Cronus was an all right substitute. He wasn't close to being as tall as Dualscar since he was younger and when it came to muscles Cronus wasn't the type to work out as often as he should; leaving only muscle he had from the excessive swimming he did. What Eridan liked most about his older… whatever…was the fact that he took the time to visit him and though he wouldn't admit it he liked being around Cronus. They would strife or talk about the military—which was usually one sided on Eridan's part since it wasn't Cronus' thing—or just go swimming together and have fun.

But this time Eridan needed to finish reading this book over historical strategies, which battle plans worked and which ones didn't and why. Whenever Dualscar had decided to acknowledge his youngest descendant he would give him tasks to do through Cronus and expect them done. He hadn't let the adult down yet and didn't plan to. This was what he wanted since he first heard of the other troll, to be taken under wing and raised side-by-side until his Lusus decided he had other plans. Cronus was still a problem though, slumped against the wall in the study, flipping his unlit cigarette between his teeth and balancing it on his tongue. Eridan rolled his eyes, "What is it, Cronus?" When a short silence passed he turned in his chair and held out his hands, "Well?"

"I think you should take a break, kiddo." He said curtly, stepping closer to press his hip against the desk in the room. "You've had your nub in that book all night."

Eridan was about to snap at him, tell him that this was what Dualscar wanted from him, all that he ever wanted, and that one day he might actually speak to him instead of going to a middleman if he was obedient. He caught something in the violet eyes and bit his lip. "Can it wait a bit longer? I've gotten far and I know how this plan will turn out."

Cronus' fins gave a little flap, "Okay. But just this…" he gestured to the page. "This. Then meet me on the deck." He took a single step before glancing over his shoulder, "Don't know how you read that stuff anyway. Books are borin' as hell." He gave Eridan a gentle smack to the back of the head with a broad grin and fled before he could get hit. Eridan resumed reading and took notes on the tactics and escape plans that turned into attacking whenever the opportunity arose. He marked his place and moved to the upper deck of the ship, eyes skimming over the other trolls that lounged about, waiting for the sun to rise so they would sleep. Eridan found their laziness disgusting; if they were on his ship they would all be working until the sun rose and threatened to scorch their hides. But this wasn't his ship and he wasn't old enough to dish out any kind of demands so most of the crew acted as though he wasn't even there. Near the prow, Cronus was waving away a younger adult troll as he tried to hide a smile. Eridan weaved his way around him when he approached and hefted himself onto the railing, "Good chapter?"

He shrugged, "I was wrong, but whatever. What did you want to talk about?"

Cronus pressed his back against the railing and chewed on the end of his cigarette, thinking about a response. Eridan allowed the tie to past by trying to sort out the slackers from the trolls who were actually trying to find something to do. It was an uneven match, out of the twenty he could see on deck six were making use of their time by cleaning, checking the ropes, or yelling at others to do something while they still had the chance. He would reprimand the lazy bums by taking their ranks down a notch. He would be a no nonsense captain. He would earn a reputation just like his ancestor and landdwellers would learn to fear his name just as they did Orphaner Dualscar. He would have to think of a better name for himself. Eridan was a grand name but an alternate title wouldn't hurt. He remembered talking to one of his internet friends, Vriska, and she had planned on taking Mindfang's name whenever they met in person and decided to role play. The Dualscar wouldn't miss him while he was gone and knew that his break from training would have to come up soon. He was greatly interested in meeting the landdweller despite her being lower on the hemospectrum.

"You okay there?" Cronus didn't try to hide the laughter in his voice.

Eridan blinked, "What?" he scowled. "I thought you wanted to talk not waste my time, Cronus."

The older troll managed to bring his happiness down to a smile, "Just wanted to talk about quadrants." When Eridan stiffened he held up his hands. "No, I'm not going to give you the 'flushed talk', that's between you and your lusus. I could always give you tips if you ever need any though." He gave the younger an eyebrow wiggle. "No, I wanted to talk about me. My flushed quadrant is now filled and I thought you should know."

"By who and why should I care?"

Cronus shifted this time, "Cause I might not be there with you after we dock. I didn't want you to think I suddenly left you. You…you don't know him, I don't really know him either, but he's stolen the spot. I saw him when we first came to the sea and he's been on my thinkpan since then. I'm gonna go find him."

Eridan gave an absent nod, "He a seadweller?" Cronus was lacking in speech this night. He snapped his fingers, "Cronus!"

"No. He's a landwveller. I'm not even sure what blood color he is—but it doesn't matter 'cause the bloodpusher knows what it wants." He grinned madly and his cigarette fell from his mouth. "He's got a motormouth on him and these ridiculously high pants that go, like—" he made a cutting motion just below his armpits. "All the way up to here and, and his _horns_, Eridan they're these little nubby things that are so small and cute and I know he gets teased about them but that's when I show up and save the day cause no one will mess with a violetblood. Even though I won't do nothin'. Then he'll fall for me and we'll become matesprit's and then comes the fun part…"

Eridan stared at the love-struck troll and shook his head, "You're fuckin' crazy."

Conus pursed his lips in a thin line, "Way to make me feel better, chief. A real pick-me-up that's what you are." He threw his hands out before him. "I don't know what else to do, Eridan, Dualscar is going to make me go right back into training when we get on his ship again and wanna find this guy again and get to know him before we head back out to sea." He cast a sad look in Eridan's direction. "I don't want to leave you alone—"

"I'll be fine." He bit as he pushed himself forward and landed with a soft thud. "I have friends to meet anyway. It's not like I'll be by myself."

Cronus' expression changed instantly, "Great! So you'll head out with your little friends and I'll go get my flush on." His shark-like teeth glimmered in the light and he began to head below deck. Eridan wasn't entirely sure if he was being trolled or not and Cronus was just trying to get rid of him while trying to be polite about it. Well, as polite as Cronus could be. "What are your plans for the time off?"

"I've been speaking to another troll and we share common interests. We're going to meet somewhere and do this thing she calls 'role-playing' which sounds like it'll be exciting."

"I think you need to lose the way you talk, and act your age. Dualscar isn't here to crack a whip and tell you to shape up." He offered a friendly smile and removed a cigarette from his sylladex. "You're still a wriggler, no one will get mad at you for acting like it. Save the adult speak for when you're an adult."

"Adult speak?" The smaller troll echoed. "Pardon me for trying to get on Dualscar's good side. Work my fuckin' ass off and he doesn't even look at me. "

Cronus moved silently around three half-asleep trolls and entered the sleeping quarters. "Dualscar doesn't have a good side. He's kind of an asshole."

"But we're here aren't we? Didn't you want to meet your ancestor when you were a grub?"

The violetblood lit the cigarette and took a puff, giving a shrug when he inhaled again. "The effects kind of wear off. I wasn't into meeting him in the beginning 'cause I knew I wouldn't be what he wanted so that took the appeal down a bit. But then one day he shows up with this big scowl on his face and he's like 'get your shit' and away we go. He wasn't happy about it. I mean, I wasn't happy either, he had these two other trolls with him who looked scared out of their mind and they jumped at his every word. They barged in my hive and just started taking whatever looked important." Eridan allowed the information to waft about the room like Cronus' cigarette smoke and took his place back in front of his nearly forgotten book. "But I think you'll do find, chief. You've got potential." Eridan's fins gave a small wave as he tried to hold back a smile. "He's got you reading those books because they're important for captains and history is important. I never read 'em—just skimmed through the pages. Pissed him off to no end. So we would strife and after he beat me down a few times he would act like we never argued about it and went on with our lives. I never held it against him. I should've been listenin' to him."

Cronus lost himself in his memories and Eridan smoothly went back to reading. He was able to finish another section before Cronus hummed and tossed the butt into the trash. "I went looking for him." Eridan spoke slowly. "I heard all about him and I wanted to be just like him."

"You will be. Got the smarts for it." He tapped his skull and held out his hand expectantly. A sandwich fell into his open palm and he gave it a curious sniff. "Still fresh, want one?" Eridan didn't get the chance to reply, a perfect copy of the food fell into his lap and Cronus stretched himself out on the plush chair. "Caught and made by yours truly." The two ate in silence and Eridan eventually finished reading. He was going to ask Cronus for tips on close-combat but found his friend asleep in the chair. He frowned and placed the book back into his sylladex, shuffling over to the door to lock it shut. He stared at Cronus for the duration of an internal battle and stormed over to him, squeezing his way against the other and what little space there was left of the chair. After he nudged the older troll to give him more space he yawned and stared into the porthole that allowed him a view of the rising sun.

"Sure you don't want to sleep in your 'coon?" Cronus mumbled, eyes remaining shut.

"I'll be fine for one day." He muttered and buried his face into Cronus' shoulder. "I'm not a wriggler."

"I know you're not, chief." Eridan felt a gentle ruffle of his hair before sleep demanded his attention. Their relationship didn't belong in a quadrant which was fine for Eridan; he wasn't interested in filling out his relationships just yet. He still had some time for that. But if he allowed his mind to twist things out of proportion, he wouldn't know what to do without the troll beside him. He would miss the stupid ear waves and eyebrow waggles and he might even miss the way his cigarettes burned his nose that signaled he was nearby. Cronus could be annoying, or foolish, or a waste of space, but he would be glad he was still there. It reminded him of his heads-up of how Cronus would be looking for his flush-crush when they docked and his bloodpusher gave a small twist. He wouldn't be alone though. He had Vriska and things to do. Besides, Cronus would be there when he returned. He wouldn't leave him. Still, Eridan curled closer to the violetblood and drifted away, holding onto the smell of the slight musk that came from the older trolls' body.


	2. Fiduspawn and Mind Control

**Fiduspawn and Mind Control**

**Focus – The Nitram's**

Rufioh is in the middle of a training session with the Summoner when his ancestor senses the presence of a lusus belonging to a young troll known as Tavros Nitram.

* * *

Rufioh leaned closer into the bush before him, eyes wide and ears flipped up to hear every sound. "You always cheat, dog." He crawled forward, trying desperately to find at least one animal his ancestor hadn't already latched onto to see through their eyes. The Summoner would always play these twisted games that messed with his thinkpan. He would suddenly go missing and Rufioh wouldn't find him for hours until he went looking for him and that's when the game began. He tried not looking for the Cavalreaper once and quickly found out that it was the worst possible thing he could've done. As the day went by he found himself being watched by several hundred beasts with unblinking eyes from the border of the forests or from high in the air. His ancestor was a troll of the highest ranks in the Cavalreapers with a matching attitude of authority and respect. Rufioh could always talk to his ancestor about anything—other than times like these which made him not want to talk to his ancestor after at all because of well…this. He ran a hand through his dyed hair and stared at a hoofbeast that hadn't moved in ten minutes and psyched himself up for the mental battle he was going to face. His eyes glazed over white as he forced himself into the animals mind and felt the powerful barrier of another already occupying it. He winced at the sharp pain that shot through his head when the Summoner tried to push him out and grit his teeth, pushing back with equal strength. Rufioh felt his legs give and fell back on the ground, clutching his head with a sharp gasp.

"Not today." He said with a smile and squeezed his eyes shut. The Summoner's grasp on the animal wavered for a second and allowed his descendant to briefly gain the feeling of the beasts' sight. Everything blackened when his ancestor regained full control and he dug his nails into his scalp, toes curling in his shoes. Another sharp pain hovered in the front of his mind and he ground his teeth, feeling the Summoner's power wane when he gave another push. He grinned and forced himself in further, hearing the startled yelp of the hoofbeast when the Summoner simply gave in and Rufioh bombarded its brain. "Sorry little guy." He said as he opened his own eyes to stare at the curious beast that wandered closer to him. "I need you to help me find a friend." He sent a brief image of his ancestor into its head and it flicked its tail in response. "Good, now go find him." he added with a quick pap to the beasts' furry head. It turned and fled into the forest, distancing itself from the young troll.

Rufioh leaned against a monstrous tree and rubbed his head as the ache slowly drifted away. The Summoner wouldn't be able to find him just through their battle, but he would know that he was on the hunt. He fluttered his wings and crept closer to the forests edge, setting his sights on the ocean he could smell that was closer than he thought. He could wander along the shore until his hoofbeast found anything clues to where the Summoner was hiding. He stretched himself out and guardedly took to the air, wings using what little air currents there were to keep his travel swift and easy. The ocean spray found him and he smiled into the dark depths of the water, his path littered with jagged rocks and white, foamy mist. He watched the fish closest to the surface bound into the air and latched onto their minds, forcing them deeper into the ocean so he could see the colorful sights. He had never gotten deep enough to notice any seadwellers or anything of real beauty because the creatures that lingered close to the surface had terrible vision the farther the depth.

A warning flare went off in Rufioh's head and he removed himself from the lesser creatures and closer to the hoofbeast. He was able to see a flash of orange before it disappeared into the sky. Surely the Summoner couldn't have found him, he had just won their psychic battle, wasn't that good enough for the ancestor? He urged the hoofbeast to run in the direction of the blur and recognized it was useless since the troll was faster than most animals in the first place. Rufioh's enforcement wouldn't change that. He placed the beast on standby and traveled faster along the shore, wings twisting sharply when he forced himself into a ninety degree turn to the sky. He grinned at the change and grasped the ledge, propelling himself upward and leaving Alternia far below. He could hide in the clouds until he knew where he was. Then when they had to strife he would have the upper hand for once.

Rufio flicked his ears when they popped from the increasing altitude. The cloud layer was getting closer, he could almost feel the cooler, comforting dense air already. What appeared to be a piece of cloud shot at Rufioh's face and screeched when it made impact. Rufioh wouldn't admit that he shrieked when the bird wrapped its wings around his head and pecked at his skull. The instantaneous effect caused him to fall from the sky and claw at the featherbeasts back, shouting into the plush chest of the large creature. The creature thrashed against his face and beat its wings against his cheeks and let out another shrill screech. He surged into the birds' brain and felt a humorous rebellion. "Summoner!" he managed to howl after the bird moved higher on his head and beat its body against the side of his face.

"You had better get yourself under control, little troll." A booming, playful voice cautioned. Rufioh was able to see the Summoner just above the clouds with a wide smile on his face. He was right, Rufioh had to learn to multitask, that's probably what the point of these games were. He arched his wings and grasped the featherbeast, fighting the Summoner once again for control. His ancestor wasn't giving in this time and barely felt the iron grasp around the birds mind loosen. "Rufioh." His voice warned as if he was flying next to him. The younger troll fought harder, teeth grinding against the other when he began to feel the Summoner's presence fade. Had he finally done it? Beaten his ancestor in a—kind of—fair fight? No, like before his ancestor had given up and the bird dislodged itself from Rufioh. He turned himself around and pulled his knees closer to his chest to prepare for impact. His wings burned to slow the short descent and before he hit the ground he changed his angle and ran awkwardly along the planet. He tripped over himself the last few feet and hit the ground, tasting grass and dirt. He stayed where he was, pulling his arms under his chin and panting against the ground. The Summoner landed next to him and he heard the laughter in his voice when he asked him if he was all right.

"You never play fair." He scoffed as he buried his face into his arms and laughed. "How am I supposed to function when you get all the animals staring at me?"

"I expect you to ignore the stares and push on, Rufioh."

He fluttered his ears, "Well it's creepy." He tucked his wings down and struggled to roll on his back, twisting his head at an awkward angle to make his horns cooperate with the change. He sprawled out on his back with a short laugh, "When I was with the Weeaboos I didn't have to worry about this. Or you. How did you find me?"

"You overestimate the beasts you control." The Summoner said plainly as he moved into Rufioh's line of sight. "You can see through their eyes and I'm guessing you projected an image to the hoofbeast? I had control over every animal there; there was no reason for it to be looking around like that. It left your previous location with such an eagerness I knew it was either running from a larger animal or you were sending it out to do your work."

Rufioh pursed his lips, "Oh."

"But you did better." His ancestor moved to his hip and offered a hand, "Much better than the other times though you still need to work on a few parts."

"Right." He grasped the larger hand and hoisted himself up, arranging the bone vest and dusting away the dirt. "Does this mean we still have to…Summoner?" The older troll was staring at a lone hive in the middle of nowhere and left him behind, flying closer to the second story. Rufioh followed silently and snickered, "We're gonna start peeping now, dog?"

"Look again, Rufioh." The Summoner said with a gentle smile, eyes never leaving the window.

Rufioh glanced into the hive and saw a small troll sprawled across a brown floor. Familiar wide sweeping horns forced him on his stomach and face aimed toward the glow of a husktop. It chimed quietly and the troll ran a hand against his eyes and through his Mohawk. He yawned, fingers tapping lazily on the keys. He appeared to be exhausted and white bull fairy entered the room, carrying a purple blanket in its small mouth. "Tinkerbull, no, I don't need that." He drawled as he buried his face into his arms like Rufioh had done earlier. The Summoner grinned, listening to the lusus squeak and gently place the blanket on his body. "Thank you, but I'm not going to fall asleep." The husktop chimed again and the troll's eyes fluttered open, reaching forward and replying with one hand.

The Summoner's eyes glazed over for five seconds and he nudged Rufioh, "His name is Tavros. His lusus is pretty smart but then again these kind usually are." There was a fondness in his voice when he spoke and Rufioh shared the feeling. Both of the trolls had lusii similar to Tinkerbull, with the sweeps that passed the Summoner's had died long ago and Rufioh had left his to the Lost Weeaboos.

The next time the husktop chimed there was no reply. Tavros had fallen asleep and the bull lusus had placed itself squarely on Tavros' back and pressed its tiny front legs against its muzzle as if to clean itself off. It gave another squeak and Tavros grunted in response, pulling the blanket closer against his body. Rufioh flew closer. "So we're gonna get him to come with us? He's—wait!"

The Summoner entered the hive silently and fluttered about in the respiteblock, eyes taking in the little details. He lifted a hand at the lusus, "Hello." It stared at him with white, unblinking eyes and kneaded Tavros' shoulders. Rufioh wasn't sure what his ancestor was getting at by breaking into his descendants hive even if he didn't really have to break anything. He watched the numerous levels of delight flicker across his features and waved at Rufioh to enter. "Look at this." The younger troll flew closer to the window and saw the lusus pointed stare. "Tinkerbull." The tiny fairy turned its head to the ancestor and squeaked. Rufioh took the time to sheepishly enter and watch the young troll sleeping on the floor. "I'm going to put him in his recuperacoon. Would that be all right?" The lusus shuffled and huffed, bringing its delicate wings to life and hovering above his adopted troll. The Summoner crouched beside his descendant and ran a hand through the soft, brown hair. Rufioh snickered at the posters of fairies on the walls and pile of hostplushes in a corner. When he returned his attention to the Summoner he had cradled the troll in his arms with such a care it caused him to flutter his own wings. "Are you going to show yourself to him?"

The Summoner moved to the recuperacoon and stripped Tavros to his shorts, a smile playing at his lips when he saw the fiduspawn pattern. He eased his descendant into the sopor until he wasn't able to sink any further because of his horns. "He's still a bit young, but yes, it would only be fair." He gave the lusus a comforting scratch on the head and picked up the husktop, peering at the screen as he read the first few lines.

"What are you doing?"

"If he has something important I would hate for him to miss it." He frowned at the words and peered over his shoulder at the sleeping troll. "He was in the middle of a conversation with another troll about…'flarping?"

Rufioh beamed, "Bangarang! I had forgotten about flarping! It's role-playing where you gather all your friends and fight. I haven't played it in so long! Does it say what he was going to flarp as?"

Summoner shook his head, "He replied with the time that was acceptable for him." He bit his lower lip in thought, "It sounds like a game for girls."

"It's a game for anyone, Summie. You just have to have an open mind." He smiled at the amused look in his ancestors' eyes.

"_Summie_?" he echoed and shut the husktop. "What nonsense will you come up with next?" He placed the machine on the nearest table and motioned toward the window, "We need to get back to training, Rufioh, this hasn't changed anything."

"It will when you decide to train him." He said as he left the building, flying alongside the Summoner back to the Cavalreaper's training base.

The Summoner smirked, "If you think I can't handle two grubs I'll be glad to show you wrong." Rufioh performed an Aileron roll and the Summoner flew past him, twisting so he flew with his back toward the ground. "You want a show, Rufioh? I'll give you one." Rufioh smiled and sped after his ancestor, already thinking of all the aerial tricks he learned to show the older troll up.


	3. Technically Speaking

**Technically Speaking**

**Focus - The Zahhak's**

Equius does what he loves to do, Horuss lets his mind wander, and Darkleer doesn't do much of anything.

* * *

The garage was silent other than the small sounds of Equius' wrench against metal. He wasn't bothered; he wasn't one to talk much and instead focused more on his machines. Horuss, on the other hand, would usually start something to talk about to try and lessen the stagnant air, but he wasn't speaking and instead sat opposite of him to watch him work. The blueblood had his chin placed in his hand, eyes hidden behind the tinted goggles around his face. He was larger the Equius and when he shuffled the stool he was sitting on scraped against the cement floor. He smirked slightly and leaned closer when Equius set aside his wrench to review his work. In Equius' eyes, this was one the best robots he had built since the last half sweep. It's body was created in smoothed segments to give it a visually appealing look, the joints were welded with flexible layers to allow it to contort to nearly any position for any purpose. Its dark red eyes stared blankly at the far wall, until Equius (and his ancestor) dubbed it good enough it would remain off. He lifted its limp hand and examined the pointed fingertips, dragging them along his thumb to test the sharpness.

Since Equius had met his ancestor he had gained newer and better technology. The supplies he was granted wouldn't break under his grip unless he was especially rough with it and he hadn't broken a robot he had created since then, his violent urges had been subdued since he started to strife with Horuss. Since neither would break under the others touch he was able to fight to his full abilities to rid himself of the aggressive emotions. When his ancestor found the amount of broken robot parts in his hive, he had told him to continue the hobby. Equius happily followed though, he enjoyed building robots in his free time and now Darkleer was going to pay him for his work. His ancestor had given him the duty of creating what the adult called "small machines" which were actually his size or slightly larger. Horuss would be commissioned the medium requests and Darkleer the largest ones and higher priorities. Equius had never seen his ancestors' work, but knew from the expectations held above his head he was the best.

Horuss suddenly stood and tapped his fingers against the table. The younger troll glanced up at him and he heard a door slide shut. Darkleer entered, a massive troll that took up the entire span of the door approached Equius and paused at his workstation. He slid a claw along the robot's side, undoing a panel to pry apart the metal flap to scan over the wiring and pumps. He gave a small nod and shut the panel, motioned to Horuss to get his own creation ready for inspection. The older troll made his way to his own robot, his was based off of a model of a seadweller troll, not yet an adult but apparently gaining enough currency to pay for such a top-notch machine. Its designs had to be altered slightly, so that it would be able to get into the water without short-circuiting but also being light enough so it wouldn't instantly plummet to the bottom of the ocean. The last addition would be a small Artificial Intelligence system so it would swim and function underwater, but that would either be handled by Equius or his ancestor. Out of the three of them, Horuss was the only one with flexibility. His mind scoured a broader range of possibilities, his request being a grand example where Equius had a higher knowledge of mechanics than other trolls but not quite reaching the level Horuss and Darkleer were on, and Darkleer himself stubbornly refused to change his robot schematics so they appeared more of the higher classer. So Horuss accepted the job, giving his own blueprints a thinner, sleeker body and adding faux gills and fins. He could still respect his work, even if it didn't appear as strong as it actually was.

Darkleer silently approved and looked over his descendants for a long moment. He cleared his throat, the noise rumbling through the room and catching their attention. "When was the last time the two of you slept?"

"Two days ago," Horuss answered. "We decided if we finished our work quickly we would have more time to ourselves."

"We're given work based on time, if you work without rest the moment you're finished you'll be given another task. There are no breaks." He retreated to his section of the garage, through a much wider door and Equius frowned, Horuss pursing his lips at the sight of the robot he had spent so much energy in finishing. He wanted to take Equius out, anywhere away from all the expectations and trolls, he wouldn't mind getting to know the new recruit. They would be spending most of their time together anyway and another friend wouldn't hurt. The room next door gave a shuddering whir and the two cautiously entered, eyes instantly lighting up at the sight. Horuss quickly went forward and stared in awe at the metallic hoofbeast. It was nearly as large as Darkleer and gleamed under the ceiling lights, reflecting everything in the room on its smooth chassis. The pointed ears on its head turned at every sound and coupled hooves pivoted whenever it shuffled. It tapped its hoof against the ground and whinnied, tossing its gleaming head back and forth. "You should learn to balance your priorities with time, this one was a higher priority and the only reason it was finished quickly because the pay was well off."

Equius gave his ancestor a suspicious glance but it went unnoticed. When he had been ordered to clean Darkleer's space he had found the request paper and the price offer. What Darkleer had created was far beyond the price offered and expectations for the original offer. He must've done this for another reason, he presumed, but turned his attention back to the hoofbeast. Its red eyes scanned the room, tail waved in numerous segments and its hinged jaw moved without a sound as it clacked its dull teeth together. The longer Equius stared at the beautiful machine the faster his heartbeat became and his hands itched for a towel. "How high is its intelligence?"

"Small. Primal really." He made a point by handing the robot a scrap of metal, it stared at the piece until prodded by Darkleer to take it. The creature grasped the serrated object in its teeth and huffed.

Horuss moved closer to its face and hummed, "You've made the jaws pressurized. That's new." Darkleer said nothing and ushered the beast from the small space after opening a garage door. It stretched itself out by running in the small area behind the building, legs kicking and voice ringing out into the daylight. "You've certainly made its temperament close to the actual beast." Horuss wriggled at the sight, the corner of his mouth twitching into a smile he wanted to show. "I've never been one for artificial intelligence, but this is…astounding." They watched the hoofbeast trot around until it stopped in front of Darkleer and bowed its head slightly. He grazed his larger fingers on the nape of its neck and with a click the glowing red eyes faded to a deep crimson.

"Since you finished your objectives sooner and did not know the repercussions I will not list you as finished yet. But I will not do this again." The three stood in awkward silence, each accepting the haze in their own way and none willing to break it.

"Am I motherfuckin' interrupting something?" a voice questioned with a short laugh.

Equius glanced over his shoulder and stiffened, hands clenching into fists. "N-no, Highblood Makara, you are not interrupting anything." Equius watched the lanky troll enter the garage and whistled at the tools and half-finished pieces on the tables. "Do you need assistance with anything?"

Gamzee smirked, a lazy smile on his face, "Nah, just wanted to see how my blueblooded bro was doin' but it seems like you've got your hands motherfuckin' full with…" he cocked his head at the sight of the mechanical hoofbeast and grinned. "Sweet ass 'bot you got there. Thought it was real for a second there." He let out a low honk and wrapped an arm around Equius' shoulder, his friend's impossibly rigid, sweaty body overlooked. "So when do you get off?"

"Now." Darkleer interjected, retreated inside his workshop to gather a towel and more tools. "Horuss, go with him, I need to perfect the metal hoofbeast and I cannot do it with you all over it."

Horuss formed his lips into a straight line and gently traced his fingers over its flank, "But this beast is beautiful. Its body powerful and fast and mobile and…" he placed his palms against its chest and let out a shuddering breath. "Magnificent."

"Leave the hoofbeast and go with Equius." Darkleer commanded, motioning to the two. "I will not need either of you for the time being."

Gamzee gave his friend a gentle shake, "The more the merrier." He gave Equius' shoulder a squeeze and released him, "Come on, I know where we can get our lunch on."

Horuss hesitantly pulled himself away from the robot, glancing back at it before he disappeared out the door with Gamzee. Equius held back and watched his ancestor coat the hull in a white liquid and rub it into the metal. His ancestor wasn't as he had expected, he didn't seem interested in his descendants, only giving them tasks to take up their time and hardly speaking with them. Equius didn't take it to heart, he wasn't concerned with his ancestor either but now that they had met it would prove substantially better if they stayed connected. Since they had met less than a half sweep ago they had spoken more as acquaintances and less as co-workers or apprentices. Equius wondered if eventually he would be able to call his ancestor more than just his mentor and might form the troll disease they call friendship. When his ancestor noticed his staring he motioned for him to leave and pushed his broken glasses further on his face, now coming to terms that he might not even like that idea.


	4. Breaking In New Habits

**Breaking in New Habits**

**Focus – The Serkets**

Mindfang enjoys the company of her descendants and starts training.

* * *

"Now make an Anchor's Bend."

Vriska examined the heavy rope and gave a sharp nod, "I can do this." Her small hands fumbled with the thick line while her ancestor examined her surroundings.

Mindfang had been on the sea long enough to know that anything could happen, especially when she was travelling on a boat as small as this. Her main ship had been stored away for a suspended amount of time considering the chaos she had caused not several perigees ago. She bided her time by making 'nice' with her descendants, showing Vriska and Aranea how to properly run a ship and the basics they should know about before shoving off. They would need a plan, a compass, they would need to be able to read the stars and use their crew to the best of their abilities. She decided this would be a small outing, no other trolls, just the three ceruleanbloods, the freshly fallen moon and the entire ocean to explore. (Or in her case, re-explore.) The ship she was standing on currently could easily hold five adult trolls, whereas it now seemed empty with only the three.

She narrowed her eyes and grasped the railing, leaning over the side to peer around the cabin and at the deck. "Aranea?" Her oldest descendant wasn't outside, which meant she was probably stored inside and busied herself with reading everything she could get her hands on. Aranea wasn't like Vriska, her mind was like a sponge, soaking up knowledge and holding onto it in case anyone needed to know the information. Vriska, on the other hand, was just as eager to learn, but only about things pertaining to her current situations and would refuse to listen to anything else. Little Vriska reminded Mindfang of herself when she was younger.

"Is this it, Mindfang?" She blinked at the rope being offered, the tires were a bit too loose and the ends were slightly off from one another. "Looks great. Now untie it and work on the Flutterbeast Knot." She ruffled the hair between the asymmetrical horns and left her side, heading toward the bow. In her opinion, neither of her descendants were old enough to fully comprehend the importance of instantaneous obedience if they were on her ship. When Mindfang said jump there had better be trolls already jumping. With her psychic powers honed to its best, if there weren't trolls hopping she would make them jump—jump right off the side of the ship. She had zero tolerance with any sort of rebellion, even if her violent reactions were ironic when she herself was a one-troll rebellion army.

On the bow, she glanced through the small window and found her oldest descendant sitting in her captains' chair. She gave the window eight musical taps and received a baffled look. "Get out here, Aranea." Mindfang left before she could see her hop down from the chair but knew she would do as told. "Vriska, are you done with that knot?"

"Um…" was her answer. Mindfang saw the knot hopelessly tangled together in a wad and snorted, "I messed up somewhere."

"_Really_?" She stretched out the word and placed her hands on her hips, arching a brow, "I wasn't able to tell." She nabbed the piece from between the tiny hands and quickly unfurled the rope, "Do it again." She flicked her ear as Aranea approached and handed Vriska the rope before confronting her, "What were you doing in there?"

"Memorizing your maps and charts. I was trying to guess where we were headed." Aranea noticed the unconvinced look and continued. "I've been able to recall four so far." She smirked and rocked back on her heels, glasses sliding down her face to the bridge of her nose. She giggled. "They're made very nicely. Your penmanship is neat and though the edges are a bit frayed it doesn't take away to any of the information. I was surprised because I would've thought—"

"You've been in there, what, twenty minutes, and you've got four of my maps in your thinkpan? Hah! I'll be testing you on that, kid."

"Mindfang?" Vriska grasped the hem of her ancestors cloak and gave it a sharp tug, "I did it this time."

The sea captain held the knot in expert hands and nodded, "Good." An idea popped into her mind and she grinned triumphantly at Aranea, "Let's test you now, actually. I'm going to show you both the Figure Eight knot. I'm only going to show it to you once—Vriska take a step back Aranea won't be able to see if your head is in the way. Honestly. Back it up. Thank you. Now, watch closely." Mindfang's eyes switched from her work to their curious faces, they both looked so similar and yet, their eyes proved their difference. Little Vriska's black eyes were fully dialated, basking and soaking in Mindfang's each and every word and action. She was eager to please and act as the captain she wanted to grow into, her eyes full of innocent wonder and imagination. Aranea, probably because she was older and more mature, watched with curiosity from the need to know more. She was focused, eyes catching the smaller details such as the way her fingers and hands were positioned and not just the twists and pulls her ancestor made. "This is what it should look like when it's done." She allowed the two to stare at the knot for another eight seconds and swiftly untied it, handing it to Aranea. "Now do what I just did."

The girl stared at the limp rope and ran her fingers over the course felt, pursing her lips. Slowly, she began to fold the knot over, stringing it through the loops she had made and copying the steps again, the uneasy look in her eyes growing to excitement when she held up her finished work with pride. "I did it!"

Mindfang hid her grin, "Yup, now untie it and give it to Vriska, she's going to spend days trying to get it to look like that."

"_No_!" she scowled, "I'll do it perfectly, just like Aranea did." Which proved to go just as Mindfang thought when the first three loops ended in the young girl knotting the rope prematurely. "What! I—but!"

Aranea smiled and crouched slightly to match Vriska's height, "Can I help you?" With a grumble and a nod Vriska allowed her to help.

Mindfang watched the two with dormant interest. She never thought of raising grubs, if someone had suggested it to her last sweep she would've laughed. She wasn't a mammal. Caring for the younger ones wasn't in her blood. She pursed her cerulean lips and turned her attention to the ocean, forcing away the negative thoughts of her actions. She would teach these wrigglers what it meant to be a sea captain. She was Marquise Spinneret Mindfang! Pirate leader of the deadly Gamblignats! Bringing up two smaller trolls would be no small feat, but it wasn't like it was impossible! "I'll be great at this." She muttered as her eyes set on an approaching ship. "Hey, girls, would you like to see how a real pirate handles threats on the sea?"

"Yes!" came an eager squeak from Vriska. She dropped the rope and ran to the side of the ship, the broad smile on her face showing off her small, growing teeth. "What are you going to do with them?"

Aranea came to a stop at Mindfang's flank and hummed, "They're coming on us pretty fast. The ship is larger than ours, even."

The older troll waved her hand, "Don't underestimate me. I've got this under control. Vriska, bring me my telescope." The tiny troll let out another shriek and ran into the cabin. "I wasn't expecting visitors, so they probably won't make it out of here alive. We'll only have a problem if there are bluebloods or higher—thank you Vriska."

Mindfang gazed through the scope at the small ship, counting four midblooded trolls on deck, facing her position. She handed the scope the Vriska and watched her try to find them, a toothy smile never leaving her face. "Do you see that little greenblood?" she questioned. Vriska scowled and steadied her hands, then nodded fervently. "Try and use your powers on her, see if it works. It's all right if it doesn't. You're still young."

Aranea provided small talk until the ship arrived. Her oldest descendant had called it, the ship was slightly larger than theirs and apparently more trolls were hiding under the decks seeing as there were two more. The six rival trolls wore vile grins on their faces, mostly ranging from yellow to cerulean, she could handle this. She glanced at Vriska with a lazy look in her eyes, "Anything?"

Vriska was scowling, lips pulled tightly together, eyes crinkled at the edges. She shook her head and placed two fingers at her thinkpan, "I'm trying…"

She laughed at how silly the little troll looked and turned back to the six, "So what brings you out here?"

"Spinneret Mindfang you have a bounty on your head so large I'm guessing Her Imperial Condesce is paying it herself. It would be nice to be rich." One of the ceruleanbloods stepped forward, broken teeth glimmering in the moonlight. "Give yourself up or we'll just have to take your corpse in."

"Hey, she has wrigglers with her." One remarked quietly.

Mindfang glanced at Aranea and Vriska, "So I do! What of it?"

"Why do you have them?"

"Can't you tell? They're my descendants!"

"By the Condesce there are more of you?" the cerulean chuckled and placed himself on the ships ledge, "Maybe we'll get paid double for more of you?"

"Only double?" one of the crew piped up.

"One's about four sweeps old and the other looks two. I highly doubt we'd get more than that."

Mindfang grinned, showing off every tooth in her mouth. "Or maybe you won't get any?" Her mind surged into theirs, her dominance overlapping their lesser. Her manipulation became absolute when she felt what little struggle they fought with dissipate into nothing and five trolls slumped, eyes rolling back into their heads, their bodies now under her command. "I've got the others, do you have the greenblood?"

Vriska grunted and shook her head, "She's fighting me!"

The remaining troll dropped her weapon and ran below deck, Mindfang scoffed, "Come on Aranea, Vriska, stay here and guard the ship. We'll get her." She balanced herself on the edge of her boat and leapt to the higher railing, twisting around to catch Aranea when she surged forward after her. "Good girl." She praised softly, pushing Aranea in the direction of the wheel. "Go and see if they have anything important. I'll be down here." She smiled and shouted an additional, "Because Vriska doesn't know what she's doing!" so she would be able to hear.

"It's not my fault!" snapped a smaller voice.

Mindfang grinned and jogged down the stairs, catching several smaller traps that would've been set off by anyone other than herself. She was glad she sent Aranea forward instead of below decks; she would have to teach them about traps later. "Sweetie?" she called mockingly, holding her cutlass out before her as she headed deeper into the bowels of the ship. "Where are you? Don't you want to join your friends?" a small whine caught her ears and she rounded the corner in two steps, cutting her blade through the air and hearing it slice through something solid. She stared at her work, the greenblood had been cowering in the floor and had she had actually been standing she would've only suffered a chest wound. Because of her cowardice her throat had been cut and she proceeded to bleed out on the floor, clutching her neck desperately as green life poured from the gash.

Mindfang simply left after that, heading back upstairs and through the wooden door. "Did you find any…" she saw her confused descendant held in the arms of a seadweller. His narrowed eyes tinted red, sharp teeth grinding together as he tried to keep himself from turning feral. "You found the captain. Super."

His arm was tightened just under her neck in a chokehold; she appeared to be unharmed by the rage induced adult but anxious nonetheless. "Mindfang. You will let my crew go. We will leave. And you get your wriggler back."

"Wow, a barter? That's almost new." She waved her hand, "Come on, let's fight this out like reasonable adults. Just me and you and our own blades."

"As if I'd believe you. While my crew is still under your control you could just have them ambush me." He sneered, nostrils flaring with his words. "Release them and leave, Spinneret."

Mindfang was slightly surprised, this troll wasn't as foolish as she took him for. She shrugged and pointed her cutlass between his eyes, words already forming in her mind to get her out of this situation. Usually when her psychic powers were useless she was able to talk herself out of these situations. However, the enemy never had a hostage she cared about. Aranea suddenly snarled and jerked her body, horns cutting into the corner of his eye. She thrashed for a moment and twisted herself around, shoulder into his chest and neck craned at an awkward angle. Several quick moves and the captain was gurgling, hand curled around his throat in a vain attempt to stop himself from bleeding out.

Aranea grimaced at the blood dripping down her horn. "I need to clean this off…"

Mindfang clasped her shoulder and gave her a short squeeze, "We can take care of that! But first I need to lock these morons down below and throw the dead into the ocean, they'll just be extra weight. Check on Vriska and make sure she hasn't fallen off the boat." She brought two members of the crew into the space and they lifted the corpse up and outside, "We'll take these guys back to the mainland and see if we can't sell them."

Aranea nodded grimy and slunk off of the ship, hopping down from the edge and onto their smaller vessel. Mindfang controlled the crew like puppets, forcing them to bring out their supplies so she could get a better look at their inventory while the occasional higher blooded trolls tried to fight against her. She dug her claws into their thinkpans a much sharper way and they were silenced.

Mindfang would teach her descendants everything she knew. She would continue with the small things, the knots that could be made with rope and their purpose. How to spot traps and how to disarm them. She would teach Aranea how to wield a blade since she was the oldest. She laughed to herself at the thought of Vriska throwing a fit as to why she wouldn't be trained along with Aranea. Once her descendants were nearing their first pupation she would allow them their own ships—still under her control of course—but it would be a nice experience for them to have vessels of their own to control. Her bloodpusher gave a squeeze at the thought and she sent the crew below decks, releasing her control and placing crates in front of the door so they would stay put. She returned to the side of the ship and saw Vriska and Aranea handling the rope and telescope, Aranea going on about what she knew about telescopes, like their origin and the way they were created. Mindfang arched over the railing, crossing her arms over the other. She was glad the Summoner found her descendants and forced them upon her, just as she did when she found Rufioh and manipulated him into stepping forward. Though it was slightly unfair that she had two descendants where he only had one, she was content with hers.

Aranea noticed her ancestors mellow look and cocked her head to the side, "What are we going to do now?"

She straightened herself and grinned, "We're heading back now! I'm going to drop you two off with your lusii and I'm going to handle these idiots."

Vriska's eyes grew large, "When will we see you again?"

"After I visit my matesprit for a bit." She tapped her claws against the wood. "So it'll be a bit—don't make that face you two—Serket's don't make pouty faces unless we really, really want something and only if they know it's worth it. Because if it's not worth it, it doesn't deserve our attention!" she cackled and glanced between the two boats, then paused and clapped her hands together, "So, who wants to guess how we're going to move _both_ boats when I'm the only one that knows how to steer them?"

* * *

AN: Personally, I would've thought Mindfang would be great guardian over Vriska and Aranea because she would shape them to become just like her. But on the seas she's a complete heartless psycho who knows she's the boss and anyone that gets in her way will get brutally murdered...


	5. Bittersweet Taste

**Bittersweet Taste**

**Focus - The Maryams**

The Dolorosa doesn't have many things to look forward to while she's a slave, but now, she can manage.

* * *

Every morning she would wake just before her master and wait outside of her respiteblock, clothes prepared and slung over one arm. The clothes would be the usual color but with different styles, each a bright cerulean and deep blue with the Scorpio sign etched into the dark fabric just above the right breast. She would receive a call to come in and enter silently, placing the chosen outfit out on the bed for her to check. The Dolorosa had never been told to choose a different outfit. With her master's agreement, she would follow her into the bathroom and undress her, carefully washing and brushing the tangles that had formed through the night out of her long, dark hair. After she bathed, she would dry her off and dress her with the clothes chosen and from there it was all up to Spinneret Mindfang. Before she had met her matesprit, after she was dressed she would grant the Dolorosa with a kiss on the cheek just before applying her own make-up. Now, she would listen to Spinneret share the tales of her adventures, going silent long enough for her to neatly apply her cobalt lipstick and purse her lips together. She would mention how lovely it would be to have her slave on her ship again and how it should be better than keeping her locked inside of her hive. She would wave a finger in her face and cackle, telling her how much she knew she was able to go out into the sunlight and how she would get the chance to on her ship where no one could bother her. The Dolorosa had been aboard her master's ship a handful of occasions, each time strangely calming with the gentle rocking of the waves yet unnerving with the threat of having another ship spot them and start a fight.

Spinneret examined herself in the mirror and smiled, sharp teeth glistening. With a quick swipe of her tongue over her fangs she straightened her shoulders and held out her hand expectantly. The Dolorosa rested her hand on top of her master's colder one and pulled it to her face, giving the back of her palm a soft kiss. The Dolorosa had wondered if her master saw them more as morails instead of the predicament they were and couldn't say that she returned the feelings. She stayed quiet though, not wanting to get on her bad side. Before they left Spinneret clasped two metal cuffs around her wrist, light enough so they wouldn't cut into her skin but thick enough so she was unable to slide out of them. Her master led her into several smaller stores first, glancing through the clothes and questioning the ones she lingered on. The Dolorosa always gave an honest answer to what she thought and Spinneret grinned, moving onto to different outfits. The jadeblood was never quite sure of why Spinneret would play these little games, she would never buy any of the outfits she gave a positive comment on unless she caught her staring a bit longer than normal.

When they left the building, Spinneret had gone off on a tangent about how cowardly the attendants were that wished her day well. She chortled, higher pitched and full of pride and commented on how a little backbone wouldn't hurt anyone. As if some cosmic being were listening, three trolls came to a stop before her and snarled, each spouting slurs and insults, their weapons at the ready in their hands. Spinneret watched them for a moment and peered over her shoulder back to the Dolorosa. She winked. When she turned in one movement unsheathed her blade and sliced open the neck of the closest one, piercing the gut of another and waited for the third to make a move. He faltered, then let out a cry and lunged. Spinneret easily deflected him and snapped her elbow against the back of his neck when she tripped him. The trolls were dead with moments of meeting the infamous pirate queen and she turned to the Dolorosa with a wicked grin. Her grin faltered when she saw her slave's face but she shrugged and continued on her path, waving for her to follow.

The Dolorosa had always feared Spinneret Mindfang. The little moments like these, the barely concealed glee she had whenever she was challenged. Spinneret knew of her fear. She was able to tell whenever the Dolorosa wasn't able to act fast enough to her command and she would force herself into her mind. She would root around at her feelings and take control of her body, pushing and pulling at her very soul until the Dolorosa had felt nothing but emptiness by the time she was finished. She was able to recall every time Spinneret had taken control over her body, the horror and dread that would take over whenever he watched her hands unbuttoned her master's bodice or pour the tea they would drink together as if they were on equal terms. She would watch her fingers move and feel her mouth form words and hear her own voice spill from her lips but it wasn't her. When Spinneret found it appropriate she would force her to say outrageous things and laugh at her own jokes. But her master hadn't done such a thing in a while, not for half a sweep. Although the possibility never left.

Spinneret led her into a bazaar, passing by stands and carts filled with fruits, cloths, and useless trinkets. She lingered around the merchants carts with glittering pendants and ordered her to stay where she was. When Spinneret left the Dolorosa allowed her mind to drift back to her memories, the more pleasant ones when it was just her and her beloved Signless. Her memories betrayed her through, and her bloodpusher began to ache for the child she missed. But what else did she have? She couldn't recall what she had done before she found the mutant grub for once she had found him she truly began to live. She flinched when her name was called and met the gentle eyes of another jadeblood. She smiled at Porrim when she came near and did a quick scan for her master, nodding at her to tell her it was fine for her to approach. She hadn't seen her descendant in nearly two sweeps and longed to embrace her, noticing how much she had grown and the changing tints of her eyes. Porrim tangled her fingers with her own and sighed happily. The Dolorosa listened intently as her descendant began telling her about the things she had done and how she had missed seeing her ancestor. She spoke about the outfits she had created and described the designs she had stashed away in a sketchbook and the attires she was currently working on. She began speaking of her palemate, a younger troll by the name of Kankri and his problem with lengthy speeches. Her tone had dropped whenever she explained his naïve nature and secret selfishness and ended with a laugh about how the Vantas boy tried to work his own arrogance around others feelings.

Vantas boy? The Dolorosa was unable to speak for a few moments, her throat tightening uncomfortably. Porrim questioned her uneasy face and confessed that she had never told the Dolorosa about Kankri for fear of hurting her. But the adult smiled and told her that it was perfectly fine. That it was actually nice to know that there would be a descendant to someone who had made such a difference—or tried to. At the Dolorosa's wish she described more about the younger troll and his quirks and habits. She unconsciously compared the two and found multiple similarities, though many more differences. Which was fine, she knew they wouldn't be the same person and all his different qualities made him who he was. She was able to tell Porrim had watched over the boy for a while, catching the fondness in her eyes whenever she would speak of specific events. Her descendants' words helped pull her away from her own situation, reminding her of a world beyond the chains and her master. The little moments she had, just like these, are what brought faith back in the broken troll.

Porrim pressed her for information to try and gather any highlights of her nights but dropped the subject then the Dolorosa was unable to think of many. She changed the topic onto something they knew about, the fabrics that Porrim had bought and the quality of things. The Dolorosa adored her descendant, her willingness to try and comfort her when she didn't have to. She wanted to hold onto Porrim and protect her from all things, death be damned. A subtle brush through her mind sent chills down her spine and she shook her head, ordering Porrim to leave before Spinneret returned. Porrim squeezed her ancestor hand and flashed her a hopeful smile before disappearing into the crowd. The cold tingle that trailed along her scalp consumed her in an almost caring embrace and Spinneret nudged her arm. Something glimmered in her eyes as she led the way back to their hive, a small package tucked within one of her coat pockets.

In the familiar area of her hive, Spinneret removed the package and the Dolorosa's cuffs. She followed her master into a side room and pulled up an image on her monitor. Spinneret asked if she knew who lived in the structure on the screen and she shook her head. She zoomed in and typed in several lines of code before a side panel slid next to the main picture with a small gray face. The Dolorosa instantly recognized her as her descendant with her mismatched horns and wide yellow eyes. Her bloodpusher throbbed at the sight of another young life; this one not even two sweeps old. She could imagine the wriggler growing up to be rebellious, not so much like Porrim, just enough to get her point across. She wondered if she would have an interest in clothing like her older relations. Whether or not she would accept her role as a jadeblood and help the mother grub or leave with the hope of better things. Those innocent eyes held so many possibilities she didn't notice herself make a noise until Spinneret asked her if she was okay.

Her master approached her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, motioning to the screen. She told her she would be able to meet the little troll and learn more about her if she promised to never leave. The Dolorosa thought her request was a moot point considering she was already her slave and most likely wouldn't be able to leave until the day she died. She had waited too long to respond and Spinneret dug her nails into her shoulder, asking again. She winced slightly when blood was drawn and replied that she needed to think of her answer. Her master deemed this a reasonable response and released her, changing the screen to several other images of her ship and important crewmate's residence. The Dolorosa was unable to understand the cerulean pirate. Her thoughts grew fuzzy when she barely felt Spinneret's mind brush against her own. A flicker of inner turmoil caught her off guard the second before her mind was her own again and she stared at the black mane of her master's hair. It wasn't just her own conflicting emotions that she felt, but her masters as well. Perhaps she had been right about the pale feelings that the Spinneret longed for and this was all just a way for her to snag the Dolorosa as hers even more.

Her thoughts went back to the child on the screen and Porrim. She had never seen the child before that moment and already felt attached. With Porrim, she was able to piece her being together and figure out what Porrim needed to hear. She would watch as the jadeblood threatened to crumble and helped build her back stronger, to help her stay true to her ideals and fight for them. To allow her to know that the Dolorosa would be there for her when possible and help with any way she could—such as the terrible time she asked for help when she became a Rainbow Drinker. She saw a bit of herself in her oldest descendant.

And now, with her newest one, she hoped to aid her. She was willing to play the mother grub or lusus once again if the wriggler needed it. She would hold her in her arms and cradle her as she fell asleep. She would dress any scrapes that happened if she had gotten herself into trouble while playing around. As much as she wanted to berate herself for even thinking of putting herself through any situation similar to her child…she couldn't. She wasn't there for Porrim as much as she wanted to be, but if her master would allow it, she would try to be there for the wriggler.

She stepped forward and clasped her hands together, calling out her name. The pirate queen turned and arched a brow. The Dolorosa spoke before she could make any witty remark and agreed. Her masters' face lit up and she stepped forward, cupping one of her cheeks in her cold hand. The Dolorosa waited to feel Spinneret's intruding mind although it never came. Instead, the woman smile and lifted one of the jadeblood's hands to her face and gave the back of her palm a small kiss. She laughed the moment after and removed the small box, offering it to her slave. The Dolorosa carefully opened the package, holding up the small necklace with a jade and cerulean pendant on the end. She held back the smile that played at her lips for fear Spinneret would take it as her laughing at the gift. Her master snatched the necklace from her hands and slid behind her, placing the jewelry around her neck and adjusting it to where the pendant rested just below the collar of her shirt.

So she had been right about her masters pale wanting. But it didn't matter. As long as she kept her part of the deal she would be anything Spinneret wanted her to be. She looked forward to the day she could meet the young troll and walk with her through the steps of life. She prayed for the day the three would be able to converse and laugh and share their tales…and she would. She felt Spinneret clasp her hand and pull her from the room and into the main block, throwing herself down on the couch and patting the spot next to her. A feelings jam so soon? She sat beside her master, closer than she ever would had she been in the right mind, however, Mindfang moved closer and twisted herself so she sprawled out on the cushions and rested her head on the Dolorosa's thighs. Spinneret grasped one of her slaves' hands and placed it against her chest, massaging her wrist where the shackles would rub against the area just below her thumb and began talking. The initial shock of the abrupt change slowly began to wear down as she listened to her master speak. She could do this, if not for her descendants, then for her own safety to keep her masters temperament quelled and pointed away from her. While Spinneret slowly began falling apart in her lap, the Dolorosa stroked her hair and thought of the Signless and his teachings of forgiveness. Even if he wasn't alive she could still follow through with his words, her actions could influence others and should time allow it, she would be able to share the Signless preaching's with her own descendants and maybe from there his death would mean so much more.

* * *

I'm terribly sorry about the lack of updates because of finals and my internet crashing but now that that's all over I'll be able to update sooner.  
(And I wanted to try out a new writing style. I don't know if I like it very much, so I probably won't make it like this again.)


End file.
